Gun legislation: ploys and problems

President Obama’s righteous indignation over the Senate’s refusal to adopt his gun legislation (“Senate blocks measures on gun control,” April 18) is clearly based on his hope that the legislation would go to the House of Representatives where he, and everyone else in Washington, knew that it would be dead on arrival.

His cynical and disingenuous ploy to provide him a winning 2014 congressional election issue is a missed opportunity to address the real problem. Specifically, the impaired mental health of the perpetrators is the common denominator in all recent mass killings. – Jim Stieringer, La Mesa

The day that U.S. citizens need assault weapons with high-capacity magazines to defend their person and property is the day this country has much bigger problems than mindlessly protecting Second Amendment rights established over 200 years ago for the weapons available over 200 years ago. (Really, NRA?)

The day that mental health services are well-funded enough to adequately identify and treat those individuals at risk of senseless violent action is the day that human services are at least as important as a happy business community. (Really, House of Representatives?)

And the day that background checks applied to gun stores would logically be extended to all venues of firearm purchase is apparently not today. (Really, Senate?) – Lyall Kitson, El Cajon

There were more guns owned per capita in the United States before 1960 than now and none of the slaughter of today. I never see that addressed by anti-gun folks.

Something has changed in America other than the fact that proportionately fewer people own fewer guns. A rewritten history of the U.S. is taught in school, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and their meaning to our freedom and what freedom means are no longer taught to our children. God and being good have been taken out of schools, but these things are not discussed as problems with our society. Instead we dump the responsibility of our societal lack of responsibility on an inanimate object. – Scott Rieker, San Diego

In response to Ira M. Landis and Fred Peter (Letters, April 19), when they speak about a “vast majority of voters who supported this legislation,” just who are they referring to? No one asked me, nor did they ask anyone in my circle of friends. None of us would ever want people who work for us (“public servants”?) to take away our rights as citizens. First, the U.N. arms treaty fails, and now this. When will they figure out that Americans are getting weary of elected officials telling us what’s good for us?

And to Mark Hansen (“ … control people who should not have guns …”) and Walter Lomeli (“ … an awesome day for the freedom and liberty of the American people”), RIGHT ON! – Mike Gollihur, Chula Vista

In response to Ira Landis, who casts shame on the senators that wouldn’t vote for the gun control legislation: For one thing, Joe Biden has stated that nothing in the bill would have prevented the recent massacres. So to say that the senators could have prevented the next one is ridiculous.

Also, Ira and many other writers state that this legislation was overwhelmingly favored by the American public. If this was so, the senators wouldn’t have to worry about the NRA or their re-election campaigns.

Lastly, James Southerland (Letters, April 19) states that “it seems like they want to return to the days of the OK Corral when everybody had a gun.” Guns were outlawed in the town of Tombstone at the time of that gunfight. When will people understand that outlaws, 130 years ago or today, will not obey any laws that pertain to firearms. – Evan Charlesworth, Lakeside